Leading the way through social enterprise

The Social Enterprise Pathﬁnder Programme evaluation

The Social Enterprise Pathﬁnder Programme evaluation

In 2006, the Department of Health established the Social Enterprise Pathﬁnder

Programme to better understand social enterprise in health and social care. The

programme followed 26 social enterprises and examined what factors appear to be

early indicators for success and outlined the challenges in delivering health and

social care services.

Tribal Newchurch were appointed to Ingredients for Successcarry out an evaluation of the Social The evaluation shows that there are aEnterprise Pathﬁnders over a two year number of factors that appear to be earlyperiod. The evaluation, which used a indicators for the success of a socialmixed methodology (qualitative research, enterprise. These are:interviews, workshops, focus groups andstatistical analysis) has produced a wide • Strong leadership and managementrange of ﬁndings and learning points that capabilitiesshould help inform the development of • A clearly articulated social missionsocial enterprises in health and social care. • The ability to cope with uncertainty, risks and challengesA complete version of the evaluation can be • G P/Clinical supportfound at www.tribalgroup.com/documents/ • PCT and/or local authority supporthealth/Tribal_DH_SEPP_Evaluation_ﬁnal_ • An appropriate size (large organisationsreport.pdf. were perceived to have a higher chanceThis document highlights some of the key of failure)ﬁndings of the evaluation, which we hope • The ability to offer a range of services butwill be helpful for those who are currently with a clear focus on target service usersinvolved in setting up a social enterprise to • Strong community links and engagementdeliver health and social care services. • Sufﬁcient revenue for 2 – 3 years and where appropriate, capital funding Whilst these ingredients do not all need to be present, the more that can be demonstrated, the greater the likelihood of a social enterprise being recognised, supported and established. The evaluation also establishes that support of the PCT, clinical leads, staff and local population is crucial. Unless all of these are aligned and a supportive relationship exists, there is less potential for a social enterprise to succeed.Beneﬁts of the SocialEnterprise ModelDelivering health and social careservices through social enterprise has anumber of beneﬁts, such as:• The ethos and values of the social enterprise model are a catalyst for improving choice, equality and access to services and enable services to be delivered in an innovative and efﬁcient manner• Social enterprises are not seen as being commercially driven and are often seen as more acceptable to both service users and staff, especially those that are in the NHS Key Challenges • The beneﬁts of the social enterprise• Social enterprise is a model which model are not always clear, not only to appears to be valued by PCTs. potential commissioners, but also to staff and stakeholders • New social enterprises may be at a competitive disadvantage in terms of not having the same legal and HR back up as commercial providers • Although the social enterprise model appears to ﬁt well with staff principles, the potential loss of NHS branding and the feeling of no longer being within the “NHS family” is a concern • Understanding the issues around pensions. The issue most commonly mentioned by the pathﬁnders was pensions, where there is a need for clarity and a resolution to the differences faced by social enterprises as employers, when employing both staff TUPE’d over from the NHS and other staff not entitled to the NHS pension • Timing – the timescale required to establish a social enterprise is often underestimated. A social enterprise can take between 3 and 5 years to establish and trade. Successes and Achievements of the Programme The evaluation found that the Social Enterprise Pathﬁnder Programme as a whole has produced some notable successes and achievements, with many of the Pathﬁnders exceeding their expectations.

Case Study Willow Bank Partnership Community Interest Company (Willow Bank CIC) Willow Bank CIC is a social enterprise in Stoke-on- Trent, led by an integrated team drawn from the health, social care and third sectors. The company’s ﬁrst surgery, Willow Bank Surgery, opened in Meir in September 2009 and will be followed by surgeries in Hanley and Middleport. The surgeries will offer patients primary care services at more convenient times as GPs will be available from 8am to 8pm on weekdays as well as on Saturday mornings. All three facilities are being opened because of a GP shortage in the city. Each GP in Stoke-on-Trent currently has approximately 200 more patients on their list than the national average. The new practices will offer ﬁrst class primary care services as well as taking the pressure off existing surgeries and allowing GPs to spend more time with their patients. The company offers general medical services and one stop care, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups including lone-parent families, local homeless people and BME communities. Being a community interest company allows Willow Bank to develop non-clinical services that patients would not otherwise have access to, such as services for the local homeless and support and counselling for those with drug and alcohol problems.